Anna* joined Urkraft for a four-month work placement as part of her Social Science degree from the University of Umeå. When she first applied, she didn’t know what a social enterprise was but picked Urkraft because she liked the variety of the work offered, the openness towards beneficiaries, and the opportunity to support people in a flexible way. At first, the absence of structured guidelines felt quite challenging compared to what she knew about working in a statutory service, but soon she got used to the idea that thinking outside the box enabled her and the team to do their best work and began to enjoy it. She knew she was having an impact when she could see that the people she was working with could go to work or study and feel joy about their daily planning. Urkraft benefitted from her being there: as a student and young person, she brought a different perspective to the organisation.
Through the work experience, she learned how to support people with writing CVs and letters and preparing for interviews – but she also experienced a different way of working that she hadn’t considered before. Urkraft made such a good impression on her that she decided to continue to work there once her studies were complete